Corset clasp stay



Sept., 9; 1924.

" R. TovE CORSET CLASP STAY EJE/4 Filed Oct.

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Patented Sept. 9, 1924;

UNITv l;

v:ELEVEN TOVE, 0F SOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT.

CORSET CLASP STAY.

Application filed lOctober 1li, 1922.V Serial No. 594,503.l

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, RIvnN TovE, a citizen 'of United States, residing at South Nor- Walk, county ofv Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in is a specification.` j j This invention relates to' corsets and particularly the clasp stays thereof. j

It is anobject of the invention to provide a clasp stay which willv be mo-re flexible than similar elements now generally used and one which will yield transversely in all directions as the wearer bends, but will return to its original position immediately the vwearer straightens.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a clasp stay which will conform to all the curves of the body as the body of the wearer moves and Will at all times hold the garment snugly thereagainst, and will provide such support as is necessary.

It is la furtherobject of the invention to provide a clasp stay in which the probability Corset 'Clasp Stays, of which the following of injuring the wearer is very remote, and

also one in which the ends will not tend to force through the cloth of the corset, tearing the same and also injuring the wearer.

' It is a still further object of the invention to provide a clasp stay which is not liable to breakage and so will reduce liability of injury to the wearer.

v With these and other objects in view I Vhave devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which-jv Fig. 1 is a plan' view of a portion of a corset showing my `impro-ved clasp stay apfplied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a detailed tion of a stay. j i

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a stay having the other member of the corset securing means. j

Fig. t is a transverse section substantially on line 4 4 of Fig. 1'.

Fig. 5 is a transversesection substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 1. y i

- Fig. 6 is a section showing a different method of constructing the stay. ,j Fig. 7 is a similar view of the stay carry ing a securing element adapted to cooperate with that ofv Fig. 6. y Fig. 8 is a transverse section substantially on line 84-8 of/Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a transverse section substantially on line 9 9 of Fig. 7

plan viewlof a por- Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a strengthvening element which may be used with the construction illustrated in Figs. 6 toj9.

Fig. 11 is a viewsimilar to Fig. `1 showing a different construction of'stay.'

Fig. 12 is a section substantially online 12-12 of Fig. 11. v

Fig. 13 is a section substantially Von line 13-13 'of Fig. 11.

' Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. l, showy ing a slightly different construction ofstayf` and Figs, 15 and 16 are views similar to; Figs. 2 and -3 respectively showing a different form of securing means. v The body of the corset represented by the numeral 14 maybe o f any desired material "in which is sewed in the usual manner 'stiliening elements such as 15 and the 'clasp stays 16. In the form shown inl Figs.l to 5 the stays are made lwith a plurality of supports 17 and 18 preferably of a short strip of flat metal carried by which, are thecoacting securing elements, 19 and `20, the ele- -inent 19 being inonevpiece with the flatA metal element 17. These securing elements, when the stay is made up,H are spaced from each other, and are connected by the flexible elements 21. These elements comprise flattened helical springs wrapped at their lopposite ends tightly around the ends of the supporting elements 17 and 18. j

The elements 17 y and 18 may beof uniform widths throughout, but they are preferably reduced in width or narrowed at their opposite ends, as shown at 22 and23, which ynarrow portions are embraced' bythe connecting spring elements. rIhis provides ystop shoulders to limit ,the amount which the ,supporting el-ements may be inserted in the springelements'and also provides a stay of uniform widththroughout. The adjacent turns of'these springl elements are preferably in Contact or substantially in contact so that the` body of the stay will not yield any appreciable amount longitudinally thereof, `but will yield laterally in all directions.v 'At thefends of the stays I preferably use springs with the turns separated, as shown at.2t,`so that ithese tips will yield `both longitudinally and laterally. This construction is disclosed in my `co.- pending application, Serial .tt-564,747, filed May si, 1922.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 6 to 10,the securing means, such as the eye 25 and hook 26 are formed when the coils'27 andQS are wound, by periodically extending out the loop thereof to provide the hook or the eye as the case may be, the stay being formed 'of a continuous helical coil.

In this type of construction the strain of the securing elements on the stay is localized on the two turns connected with the securing elements, and for that reason I prefer to place in the coil, at this point, a stifening element 29 to distribute the strains of the securingnieans lto adjacent coils.

In the vform of construction shown in `Figs. 11 .to 13 I show how the principle of my invention may be applied where the sf .curing element-s such as .hoolsand eyes 30 and 31 respectively are secured to a tape 32, which tape is stitched .to the free edges ofthe corset to attach these hoolrs and eyes thereto. I attach this tape in the same manner -by two spaced rows ofstitches 33, 34 which pro-vide aloop 35 through which may be inserted the stiifening element 36 com- .prising a .continuousflattened helical spring with adjacent vturns thereof in contact or substantially in contact. It will be apparent with this construction that I secure clasp stays which will yield laterally in all directions .the same as those in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 97 and will give substantially the same eff-ect.

When -the .corset including my improved stays -is worn the helical coil springs will hold the corset to the ligure of the wearer without wrinkling the material and thus will secure the effect desired, as when the wearer bends or sits down instead of yall this bend being compensated for at practically a singlepoint in the body of the stay where there is the greatest leveragea as in flatmetal sta-ys, my stay willyield laterally throughout thelength thereof as is required and remain tightly against the body throughout the ventire length ofthe stay. There :will be no discomfort to rthe wearer as the pressure is uniform throughout. Immediately the wearer straightens the spring wires will come back to normal .position retaining the proper outlines rto the figure and giving' .the proper yielding support.

As the stays are of flexible resilient inaterial withnosharp ends orv edges there is .little probability .of their breaking or injuringrthe wearer. With the ordinary flat steels, when ..they.break, which is more or less .common the sharp rough broken ends tear through the cloth of the corset and often cause serious injury to the wearer.

This danger is practically eliminated with my form of stay. The stay is very sensi- 4tive and sofgives' perfect freedom of move ment.

. It isisometimes desirable to have the lowerhalf of the clasp stays stilfer than the upper half to provide a more rigidsupport at the lower half. I accomplish this -by the construction shown in Fig. 14 in-i which instead of having the whole length of stay composed of flat elements 17 or 18 connected by springs or flexible elements 21, I use this construction only at the upper partof the stays and make the lowerl half of the stay of a single piece of flat sheet metal, as shown at 37 and 38. In effect the spring connections 21 at the lower half of .these stays are omitted'and the elements 17 and 18 carrying the securingelements n19" andzZO are formed in one continuous piece.

In'Figs. 15 and 16 I haveshown aslightly different construction for the supports 17'and 18 and securing :elements 19 andQO. In this construction I form one .of the `elea hook a2 adapted to engage with the v:eye a0. The yopposite lends of these elements `are reduced at a3 and la `respectively to correspond with reduced ends 22 and Q3 of the elements 17 and 18 ,forinsertion in the ends of the flexible connecting elements 21.

I-Iaving thus set forth the nature of kmy invention, what I claim is:

`1. A clasp stay 4for corsets .including spaced securing elements, and flat coils of wire connecting said elements vand arranged with 'their axes extending longitudinally of the stay, said coils being :substantially noncompressiblelongitudinally of the'stay but yieldable laterally -in all directions.

2. A clasp stay fork corsets including spaced securingelements and flat coils of wire between said elements, said coils being yhelical with the adjacent turns substantially in contact and arranged with their axes eX- tending longitudinally of the stay.

5. A clasp stay comprising a plurality of flat spaced supporting elements, rsecuring means attached to 'said elements, and flattened helical springs connecting said elements arranged with their aXes extending longitudinally of the stay, the ends-of the .springs `tightly embracing the ends of the supporting elements.

4. A clasp stay comprising plurality of spaced flat supporting elements narrowed adjacent their ends to provide stop `shoulders, securingmeansconnected to said elements, and flattened helical springs iconnecting said elements 'and wrapped around the narrowed ends thereof, saidsprings being arranged with their axes extending longitudinally of the stay.

5. A clasp stay Vfor corsets including spaced securing-elements,flat coils of wire connecting said elements and arranged with their axes extending longitudinally of the stay, said coils being substantially non-.compressible longitudinally of the stay but yieldable laterally in alldrectQns, `and similar flat coils extending from the end elements, said latter coils being compressibl-e longitudinally of the stay as Well as laterally.

6. A. clasp stay comprising a plurality of spaced supporting elements, securing means carried by said elements, fiat helical springs connecting said elements and arranged with their axes extending longitudinally of the 10 stay, the adjacent turns of said springs being substantially in contact, and fiat helical springs extending beyond the end elements, the adjacent turns of the latter springs being spaced from each other to allow these springs to yield both longitudinally and laterally of the stay. v

In testimony whereof I aiix` my signature.

RIVEN ToVE. 

